972 Masonridge Road

Sometimes, to get exactly what you want, you have to roll up your sleeves and get to work. That’s the approach Howard and June Roesslein Chilcutt took in 2006 when they wanted a home spacious enough to accommodate family gatherings, but with cozy spaces for everyday living.

To design and build their own home at 972 Masonridge Road was a natural choice for the Chilcutts—Howard is chairman of Consort Homes, and June founded June Roesslein Interiors in 1976, running the company until she sold it a few years ago. “We worked with a wonderful architect, Dick Busch,” June Roesslein Chilcutt says. “We knew we wanted a French country look for both the interior and exterior. It’s much easier if you blend the outside with the inside—it creates a nicer flow.”

The 7,192-square-foot home features four bedrooms, seven bathrooms and an elevator connecting all three floors. To make the space seem more intimate, the home’s large size is offset by a few wellselected architectural details. Natural light streams in through plenty of windows, and gleaming wood floors combined with soft cream tones are used throughout the main living areas. Rather than a standard rectangular room, the grand hall is coffered and hipped, which makes the space seem less impersonal, Chilcutt says.

Flanked by dining and living rooms, the grand hall was designed for entertaining a crowd, which is needed with the Chilcutt clan. Between them, Howard and June have six children and 17 grandchildren. “Everyone would come for the holidays,” Chilcutt says. “We’re really lucky that most of our children live in the St. Louis area, and we’re able to do special birthdays and holidays.”

The home also has a combined family room, breakfast room and kitchen, the latter tricked-out with enough appliances to make feeding a large family seem effortless. “We have two refrigerators and two dishwashers for big family dinners,” Chilcutt says. “It’s bright and airy and a really comfortable place for all the kids to spend time.”

Walking trails connect the home to a nearby park, where the Chilcutts often enjoyed time with their grandchildren. “There’s a big water fountain, and the kids can go to the playground or go fishing in the lake,” she says. “It’s fabulous.”

The Chilcutts, who now spend most of their time in Florida, are planning to downsize to a smaller condo in St. Louis.

listing price | $2,675,000
listing agent | wayne norwood and ben patton of gladys manion

By Stephanie Zeilenga
Photos by Steven B. Smith